Will Brooks, Alexander Sarnavskiy Punch Tickets to Lightweight Final at Bellator 105

Takedowns, ground-and-pound and a steady diet of leg kicks carried
the American Top Team export to a unanimous decision over Saad Awad in
the Bellator MMA Season 9 lightweight tournament semifinals at
Bellator
105 on Friday at the Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, N.M.
All three cageside judges arrived at the same verdict, as Brooks
(12-1, 4-1 Bellator) swept the scorecards by matching 30-27 marks
and avenged the only defeat of his career.

Awad (15-6, 3-2 Bellator) -- who knocked out Brooks in 43 seconds
at Bellator 91 in February -- had his moments in the rematch,
moving briefly to mount in the first and third rounds and
threatening with a triangle choke near the end of the second.
However, he spent far too much time on the bottom, victimized by
repeated takedowns. Frustration grew for Awad in rounds two and
three, where he attempted to talk and taunt his way into a brawl.
Brooks stayed true to his game plan, pecking away with kicks and
jabs on the perimeter and securing takedowns when the Millennia MMA
representative moved into range.

“I’ve been through a lot to get to this point in my life,” Brooks
said. “Me, my family, my friends -- we’ve all made extreme
sacrifices just so I could chase one dream that every other fighter
in here is chasing.”

Sarnavskiy Triangle Dismisses Tirloni

Photo: W.
Fox/Sherdog.com

Sarnavskiy had his way with Tirloni.

Alexander
Sarnavskiy needed a little more than a minute to submit
Ricardo
Tirloni with a first-round triangle choke in the Season 9
lightweight tournament semifinals. Tirloni (16-5, 3-4 Bellator)
tapped out 68 seconds into round one, submitted for the first time
since his July 2008 encounter with Benson
Henderson under the Maximum Fighting Championship banner.

An exquisitely timed and perfectly placed spinning back fist from
Sarnavskiy (25-1, 4-1 Bellator) floored the Brazilian during their
initial exchange and left him unable to defend himself in a
competent manner.

“Tiger” subdued a still-dazed Tirloni on the mat during a scramble,
locked up the triangle and waited for the tap.

‘Mighty Mo’ Keylock Submits Sparks

Photo: W.
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Mighty Mo dominated Sparks on the floor.

Samoan kickboxer Siala-Mou
Siliga submitted Ron Sparks
with a first-round keylock in a heavyweight showcase. Sparks (8-3,
3-3 Bellator) conceded defeat 2:52 into round two, as he suffered
his third loss in as many appearances.

Siliga (5-2, 2-0 Bellator) sprawled out of a takedown attempt from
the 38-year-old Kentucky native, settled into side control and went
to work. The methodical “Mighty Mo” later corralled Sparks with a
mounted crucifix, secured the keylock and forced the tapout. A
two-time K-1 grand prix winner, Siliga has posted back-to-back wins
for the first time since 2007.

Fadiora Elbows Dispatch Berry

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Fox/Sherdog.com

Bellator 105 has been a bloody night and
Keith Berry was another victim.

British Association of Mixed Martial Arts veteran
Eugene
Fadiora made a strong first impression in his promotional
debut, as he dispatched former King of the Cage champion Keith Berry
with unanswered second-round elbow strikes in a featured
middleweight matchup. Fadiora (13-1, 1-0 Bellator) put his fourth
consecutive victory in the books 4:19 into round two.

Berry (15-12, 2-2 Bellator) was never allowed to establish a
foothold in the bout. Fadiora short-circuited the Reign MMA export
with a series of clinches and trip takedowns. Once on the ground,
the Englishman passed guard and unleashed short punches and elbows,
one of which opened a cut near Berry’s left eye.

In the second round, Fadiora trapped the Californian in a mounted
crucifix, uncorked more elbows and forced referee Rob Hinds to
intervene.